TWI776973B - Apparatus with a thermal shield including a solid monolithic nose - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus can include a forming vessel at least partially disposed within a housing. The apparatus can further include a closure mounted with respect to the housing and a thermal shield movably mounted along an adjustment direction with respect to the closure. An outer end of the thermal shield can include solid monolithic nose with a thickness and a width. An outer end of the solid monolithic nose can at least partially define an opening into the housing.

Description

Device with heat shield including solid single piece nose

This application claims the benefit of priority under the patent law from US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/574,855, filed on October 20, 2017, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. middle.

The present disclosure is generally related to devices having heat shields, and in more detail, to devices having heat shields that include a solid monolithic nose.

It is known to locate the forming container within the interior region of the housing. The enclosure helps control the atmospheric conditions surrounding the forming vessel as the molten material is drawn into the strip from the forming vessel. A closure is typically installed relative to the housing to limit the size of the opening into the interior area. Also, it is known to mount heat shields removably relative to the occlusion. As such, the size of the opening into the interior region can be adjusted to provide suitable atmospheric conditions within the interior region of the enclosure.

The following presents a simplified summary of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of some of the example embodiments described in the detailed description.

According to some embodiments, an apparatus may include a housing. The apparatus may further include a forming vessel disposed at least partially within the housing. The device may further include an obturator mounted relative to the housing to limit the size of the opening into the housing. The device may further include a heat shield movably mounted relative to the obturator along an adjustment direction. The outer end of the heat shield may include a solid monolithic nose of thickness and width. The thickness may extend perpendicular to the adjustment direction between the upper side of the heat shield and the lower side of the heat shield. The width may extend in the adjustment direction between the inner end of the inner end of the solid monolithic nose and the outer end of the monolithic nose. The outer end of the solid monolithic nose can at least partially define the opening into the housing.

In one embodiment, the width of the solid monolithic nose may range from 2.5 cm to 6.5 cm.

In another embodiment, the heat shield may further include a lower plate including an outer end attached to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose.

In another embodiment, the lower plate and the solid monolithic nose may comprise the same material.

In another embodiment, a retainer may attach the outer end of the lower plate to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose.

In another embodiment, the anchor and the solid monolithic nose may comprise the same material.

In another embodiment, a weld bead may attach the outer end of the lower plate to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose.

In another embodiment, the reinforcement panel may include a first edge attached to the lower panel and a second edge attached to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose.

In another embodiment, the reinforcement plate, the solid monolithic nose and the lower plate may comprise the same material.

In another embodiment, the heat shield may include an upper plate including an outer end attached to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose.

In another embodiment, the upper plate may comprise a material having higher oxidation resistance than the material of the solid monolithic nose.

In another embodiment, the upper plate may comprise a plurality of plates arranged in a row along the length of the heat shield. The length of the heat shield may extend perpendicular to the adjustment direction.

In another embodiment, each of the plurality of panels may include a plurality of edges including an inner edge, an outer edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge arranged in a diamond shape. The outer end of the upper plate may include the outer edges of the plurality of plates.

In another embodiment, each of the plurality of plates may further include a first slot intersecting only the outer edge of the plurality of edges and a second slot intersecting only the inner edge of the plurality of edges groove.

In another embodiment, each plate of the plurality of plates may provide an offset relative to the first slot in an offset direction extending from the first side edge towards the second side edge of the corresponding plate Give that second slot.

In another embodiment, the device may further include a refractory material disposed in the space between the upper plate and the lower plate.

In another embodiment, the apparatus may further include a sheet of material positioned between the refractory material and the upper plate.

In another embodiment, the heat shield may be positioned below the root of the wedge.

In another embodiment, a method of making a glass ribbon with the apparatus can include the step of drawing a glass ribbon from the forming vessel. The method may further include the step of pulling the glass ribbon through the opening to exit the housing.

In another embodiment, the method may include the step of moving the heat shield along the adjustment direction to adjust the width of the opening.

Embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments are shown. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers have been used in any part of the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. However, this disclosure may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

It is to be understood that the specific embodiments disclosed herein are exemplary and therefore non-limiting. For purposes of this disclosure, although not required, a glass making apparatus may optionally include a glass forming apparatus that forms glass sheets and/or glass ribbons from a quantity of molten material. For example, a glass making apparatus may optionally include a glass forming apparatus such as a tank draw apparatus, a float bath apparatus, a draw down apparatus, a pull up apparatus, a calender apparatus, or other glass forming apparatus. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 discussed below, glass manufacturing apparatus 101 may include a glass forming apparatus that includes a forming vessel designed to produce glass ribbon 103 from a quantity of molten material 121 . The glass ribbon 103 produced by the container-forming embodiment may include a high-quality center portion 151 disposed between opposing relatively thick edge beads along the length of the glass ribbon 103 . The first edge 153 and the second edge 155 are formed. As shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, glass sheet 104 may be separated from glass ribbon 103 by glass separation device 106 . Although not shown, the thick edge bead formed along the first edge 153 and the second edge 155 may be removed to disengage the high quality center portion 151 from the glass ribbon 103 before or after separating the glass sheet 104 . The resulting high-quality center portion 151 can be used in a wide variety of desired display applications, including liquid crystal displays (LCDs), electrophoretic displays (EPDs), organic light emitting diode displays (OLEDs), plasma display panels ( PDP) and so on.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary glass making apparatus 101 including a melting vessel 105 oriented to receive batches 107 from a storage rack 109 . Batch material 107 may be introduced by batch delivery device 111 powered by motor 113 . The optional controller 115 may be operated to activate the motor 113 to introduce the desired amount of batch material 107 into the melting vessel 105 , as indicated by arrow 117 . The glass melt probe 119 can be used to measure the level of the molten material 121 in the standpipe 123 and communicate the measured information to the controller 115 via the communication line 125 .

The glass making apparatus 101 may also include a refining vessel 127 positioned downstream of the melting vessel 105 and coupled to the melting vessel 105 by a first connecting conduit 129 . In some embodiments, molten material 121 may be gravity fed from melting vessel 105 to refining vessel 127 via first connecting conduit 129 . For example, gravity may be used to drive molten material 121 from melting vessel 105 through the interior path of first connecting conduit 129 to refining vessel 127 . Within the refining vessel 127 , air bubbles may be removed from the molten material 121 by various techniques.

The glass making apparatus 101 may further include a mixing chamber 131 , which may be positioned downstream of the refining vessel 127 . The mixing chamber 131 may be used to provide a homogeneous composition of the molten material 121 , thereby reducing or eliminating inhomogeneous strands that may otherwise be present in the molten material 121 exiting the refining vessel 127 . As shown, the refining vessel 127 may be coupled to the mixing chamber 131 by a second connecting conduit 135 . In some embodiments, molten material 121 may be gravity fed from refining vessel 127 to mixing chamber 131 via second connecting conduit 135 . For example, gravity can drive the molten material 121 from the refining vessel 127 through the interior path of the second connecting conduit 135 to the mixing chamber 131 .

The glass making apparatus 101 may further include a delivery vessel 133 , which may be positioned downstream of the mixing chamber 131 . The delivery vessel 133 may condition the molten material 121 to be fed into the inlet conduit 141 . For example, delivery vessel 133 may act as an accumulator and/or flow controller to regulate and provide a consistent flow of molten material 121 to inlet conduit 141 . As shown, the mixing chamber 131 may be coupled to the delivery container 133 by a third connecting conduit 137 . In some embodiments, molten material 121 may be gravity fed from mixing chamber 131 to delivery vessel 133 via third connecting conduit 137 . For example, gravity can drive the molten material 121 from the mixing chamber 131 through the inner path of the third connecting conduit 137 to the delivery vessel 133 .

As further depicted, delivery tube 139 may be positioned to deliver molten material 121 to inlet conduit 141 forming vessel 140 . Various embodiments of forming vessels may be provided in accordance with features of the present disclosure, including forming vessels having wedges for melting drawn glass ribbons, forming vessels having slots for slot drawing glass ribbons, Or provided as a forming vessel having a nip roll to compress the glass ribbon from the forming vessel. By way of illustration, the forming vessel 140 shown and described below is provided to melt and pull molten material into and out of the root 142 of the forming wedge 209 to produce the glass ribbon 103 .

Molten material 121 is then delivered from inlet conduit 141 to be received by launder 201 (see FIG. 2 ) forming vessel 140 . Forming container 140 may draw molten material 121 into glass ribbon 103 . For example, as shown, the molten material 121 may be pulled away from the root 142 forming the vessel 140 in the downstream direction 211 of the glass making apparatus 101 . The width " W " of the glass ribbon 103 may extend between the first vertical edge 153 of the glass ribbon 103 and the second vertical edge 155 of the glass ribbon 103.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the glass making apparatus 101 of FIG. 1 along line 2-2 . As shown, forming vessel 140 may include launder 201 oriented to receive molten material 121 from inlet conduit 141 . Forming the container 140 may further include forming a wedge 209 including a pair of downwardly sloping converging surface portions 207a , 207b extending between opposite ends of the forming wedge 209 . The pair of downwardly sloping converging surface portions 207a , 207b forming the wedge 209 converge along the downstream direction 211 to meet along the bottom edge to define the root 142 forming the wedge 209 . The draw plane 213 of the glass making apparatus 101 extends through the root 142 , wherein the glass ribbon 103 can be drawn in the downstream direction 211 along the draw plane 213 . As shown, the draw plane 213 may bisect the root portion 142 , however, the draw plane 213 may extend with other orientations relative to the root portion 142 .

Referring to FIG. 2 , in one embodiment, molten material 121 may flow in direction 159 into launder 201 forming vessel 140 . The molten material 121 may then overflow from the launder 201 by flowing simultaneously over the corresponding weirs 203a , 203b and down over the outer surfaces 205a , 205b of the corresponding weirs 203a , 203b . The respective streams of molten material 121 then flow along the downwardly sloping converging surface portions 207a , 207b forming the wedge 209 and are pulled away from the root 142 forming the vessel 140 where the streams converge and merge into a glass ribbon 103 . The glass ribbon 103 may then be melt drawn along the downstream direction 211 on the drawing plane 213 away from the root 142 , where in some embodiments, the glass sheet 104 may then be subsequently separated from the glass ribbon 103 (see FIG. 1 ).

As shown in FIG. 2 , the glass ribbon 103 may be drawn from the root 142 to have a first major face 215a of the glass ribbon 103 and a second major face 215b of the glass ribbon 103 facing in opposite directions and defines a thickness " T " of the glass ribbon 103 , which may be, for example, less than or equal to about 2 millimeters (mm), less than or equal to about 1 millimeter, less than or equal to about 0.5 millimeters, less than or equal to about 500 micrometers (µm), For example, less than or equal to about 300 microns, such as less than or equal to about 200 microns, or, for example, less than or equal to about 100 microns, although other thicknesses may be provided in further embodiments. Additionally, the glass ribbon 103 may include various compositions including, but not limited to, soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, aluminoborosilicate glass, alkali-containing glass, or alkali-free glass.

As shown schematically in FIGS. 1-3 , the glass making apparatus 101 may include an enclosure 301 that includes an interior region 303 . As shown, the housing 301 can at least partially surround the forming receptacle 140 including the forming wedge 209 of the forming receptacle 140 , wherein the forming wedge 209 and forming receptacle can be positioned at least partially within the interior region 303 of the housing 301 . As shown in FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, the housing 301 may include an upper wall 305 extending above the upper portion forming the container 140 , and opposite side walls 307 , 309 attached to the upper wall 305 , the upper wall having facing The inner surface of the free surface 122 of the molten material 121 positioned within the launder 201 . Opposite sidewalls 307 , 309 each include an inner surface that may face the corresponding sheet 311a , 311b of molten material 121 flowing through the respective outer surfaces 205a , 205b of weirs 203a , 203b . 1 , the housing 301 may further include end walls 161a , 161b , which may be used to form the container 140 and the forming wedge 209 forming the container 140 at least partially sealed at least partially by the upper wall 305 , side walls 307 , 309 , and within the inner region 303 defined by the end walls 161a , 161b .

In some embodiments, the glass making apparatus 101 may further include an obturator 313 mounted relative to the housing 301 to limit the size of the opening 315 into the interior region 303 of the housing 301 . As shown, in some embodiments, the occlusion 313 may include a pair of doors 317a , 317b . In some embodiments, the pair of doors 317a , 317b may be in an extension direction 319a , 319b towards the draw plane 213 or in a retracted direction 321a away from the draw plane 213 , optionally by actuators 323a , 323b , 321b to adjust the size of the opening 315 into the interior area 303 of the housing 301 . Doors 317a , 317b may act as thermal insulation to help reduce heat loss from interior region 303 . Also, one or any combination of doors 317a , 317b , heat shields 337a , 337b and/or heat shields 339a , 339b can be moved in extension directions 319a , 319b to reduce openings into interior region 303 of housing 301 315 is sized to reduce airflow into interior region 303 , thereby reducing thermal energy loss from molten material 121 and possibly increasing the temperature of the portion of molten material 121 within interior region 303 . Alternatively, one or any combination of doors 317a , 317b , heat shields 337a , 337b , and/or heat shields 339a , 339b may move in retracted directions 321a , 321b to increase access to interior region 303 of housing 301 Openings 315 are sized to increase airflow into interior region 303 , thereby increasing thermal energy loss from molten material 121 and possibly reducing the temperature of portions of molten material 121 . As such, by adjusting the size of the opening 315 into the interior region 303 of the housing 301 , the temperature of the portion of the molten material 121 within the interior region 303 can be adjusted to provide the desired glass ribbon 103 being drawn from the forming vessel 140 Attributes. For example, reducing the temperature of the molten material 121 being pulled away from forming the wedge 209 may increase the viscosity of the molten material and thereby increase the thickness " T " of the glass ribbon 103 being pulled away from the root 142 forming the wedge 209 . Alternatively, increasing the temperature of the molten material 121 being pulled away from forming the wedge 209 may reduce the viscosity of the molten material and thereby reduce the thickness " T " of the glass ribbon 103 being pulled away from the root 142 forming the wedge 209 .

The pair of doors 317a , 317b (if provided) may further include additional features further designed to adjust the temperature of the portion of molten material 121 to provide the desired glass ribbon 103 characteristics discussed above. For example, one or both of doors 317a , 317b may include cooling device 325 as depicted. 3 , the same or similar cooling device 325 can also be incorporated into the pair of doors 317a , 317b in the second door 317b , the pair of doors 317a , 317b will be directed to the first door 317b Door 317a discusses one embodiment of cooling device 325 . As shown, door 317a may include a fluid nozzle 327 disposed within an interior region 329 of door 317a . The fluid nozzles 327 may direct a flow 331 of cooling fluid (eg, air flow) toward the front wall 333 of the door 317a facing the draw plane 213 . While the front wall 333 can absorb heat by radiative heat conduction from the glass ribbon 103 drawn from the forming container 140 , the cooling fluid flow 331 can cool the front wall by thermal convection heat conduction. As such, the temperature of the glass ribbon 103 may be adjusted by the cooling apparatus 325 to affect the temperature and viscosity of the glass ribbon 103 , thereby providing the glass ribbon 103 with desired characteristics (eg, thickness " T ").

As shown in FIG. 3 , the glass manufacturing apparatus 101 may further include a heat shield 335 . In some embodiments, the heat shield 335 may include a pair of upper heat shields 337a , 337b disposed vertically above the doors 317a , 317b . For example, as shown, the pair of upper heat shields 337a , 337b may be positioned upstream (ie, opposite the downstream direction 211 ) of the doors 317a , 317b . Additionally or alternatively, the heat shield 335 may include a pair of lower heat shields 339a , 339b disposed vertically below the doors 317a , 317b . For example, as shown, the pair of lower heat shields 339a , 339b may be positioned downstream of the doors 317a , 317b (ie, in the direction of the downstream direction 211 ). Although not shown, heat shields (eg, pairs of heat shields) may be positioned within the vertical height of the doors 317a, 317b. Therefore, although the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 shows that the pair of upper heat shields 337a , 337b are completely positioned vertically above the doors 317a , 317b and the pair of lower heat shields 339a , 339b are completely positioned above the doors 317a , 317b Vertically below, but in other embodiments, one or more pairs of heat shields may be positioned within the vertical height of the doors 317a , 317b . Also, although not shown, in some embodiments, the glass making apparatus 101 may be provided without doors 317a , 317b , wherein, for example, heat shields (eg, a single pair of heat shields 337a , 337b or multiple pairs of heat shields) ) is used to define the size of the opening 315 into the interior region 303 of the housing 301 without the doors 317a , 317b .

In some embodiments, one or all of the heat shields 335 may be movably mounted along the adjustment direction. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, each of the heat shields 337a , 339a corresponding to the first major face 215a of the glass strip 103 can be movably mounted by means of corresponding actuators 341 moves in the extension direction 319a or the retraction direction 321a . As further shown, in the illustrated embodiment, heat shields 337b , 339b corresponding to the second major face 215b of the glass strip 103 may be removably mounted, which heat shields may be installed by corresponding The actuator 341 moves in the extension direction 319b or the retraction direction 321b . Thus, in addition to or in place of the pair of doors 317a , 317b , the heat shield 335 can be moved in an extended direction to adjust the size of the opening 315 into the interior region 303 of the housing 301 .

In the illustrated example, each of the pair of heat shields 337a-b , 339a-b is positioned vertically below the root 142 forming the wedge 209 to help control the atmospheric conditions of the wedge, the wedge The objects are arranged entirely within the inner region 303 in the illustrated embodiment. In further embodiments, although not shown, portions of the wedges may extend below one or more of the heat shields.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an example heat shield 335 viewed along direction 4-4 in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, heat shields 337a-b , 339a-b may be identical or mirror images of each other. As such, the embodiment of the heat shield 335 shown in FIGS. 4-10 may represent heat shields 337a , 339a . The mirror images of heat shield 335 of FIGS. 4-10 may further represent heat shields 337b , 339b .

As shown in the top view of FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the heat shield 335 may optionally include a central portion 335a disposed between the end portions 335b , 335c . In an embodiment the ends 335b , 335c may be provided with the edge guides 163a , 163b shown in FIG. 1 . In such embodiments, the ends 335b , 335c may provide clearance for the portion of the edge guides 163a , 163b that may extend below the root 142 forming the wedge 209 . In some embodiments, a single or multiple actuators may be used to retract and/or extend the ends 335b , 335c together. In some embodiments, as shown, each end 335b , 335c can be independently retracted and/or extended with a corresponding actuator 341b , 341c . Also, in some embodiments, a single actuator (eg, actuator 341a ) or a plurality of actuators may be used to retract and/or extend the central portion 335a together with the ends 335b , 335c . In some alternative embodiments, the ends 335b , 335c may be adjusted independently together relative to the central portion 335a , or each end 335b , 335c may be adjusted independently of each other and relative to the central portion 335a .

At least the central portion 335a of the heat shield 335 can include a solid monolithic nose 401a that, in some embodiments, can extend along the entire length " L1 " of the central portion 335a . In alternative embodiments (if provided), the end portions 335b , 335c may also include solid monolithic nose portions 401b , 401c that are similar or identical to the solid monolithic nose portion 401a of the central portion 335a . The solid monolithic noses 401b , 401c of the ends 335b , 335c may in some embodiments extend along the entire length " L2 ", " L3 " of the ends 335b , 335c . The features of the central portion 335a of the heat shield 335 will be described below with the understanding that the end portions 335b , 335c may include the same or similar features as the central portion 335a unless otherwise indicated.

As shown in FIG. 6 , in some embodiments, the solid monolithic nose 401a may include an outer end 601 having an outer end 603 and an inner end 605 having an inner end 607 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the outer end 603 of the solid monolithic nose can at least partially define an opening 315 into the interior region 303 of the housing 301 . For example, as shown, the outward ends 603 of the pair of heat shields 337a , 337b may define the width of the opening 343 of the opening 315 . In some embodiments, the outer ends 603 of the solid monolithic nose 401a extend along linear paths parallel to each other to define a substantially constant width of the opening 343 along the entire length " L1 " of the central portion 335a of the heat shield 335 .

As further depicted in FIG. 6 , the solid monolithic nose 401a may include a width 609 extending in the adjustment directions 319a , 321a of the heat shield 335 . The width 609 may be from about 2.5 centimeters (cm) to about 6.5 cm. In further embodiments, the width 609 may be from about 3 cm to about 6 cm. In yet other embodiments, the width 609 may be from about 4 cm to about 5 cm. Providing a width 609 greater than 2.5 cm can help increase the areal moment of inertia of the cross-section of the solid monolithic nose 401a to help resist buckling of the nose and other portions of the heat shield under high temperature and force loads of the heat shield 335 , warpage and/or permanent deformation. At the same time, providing a width 609 of less than 6.5 cm can help reduce the weight and cost of heat shield 335 .

To further help improve the areal moment of inertia of the cross-section of the solid monolithic nose 401a , the solid monolithic nose may have an upper side of the heat shield (eg, the uppermost surface 612 of the solid monolithic nose 401a ) and the lower side of the heat shield Thickness 611 between sides (eg, lowermost surface 614 of solid monolithic nose 401a ) extending perpendicular to adjustment directions 319a , 321a . Thickness 611 may be from about 1 cm to about 3 cm, although other thicknesses may be provided in further embodiments. In another embodiment, the thickness 611 may be from about 1.5 cm to about 2.5 cm. In some embodiments, providing a thickness 611 greater than about 1 cm may increase the moment of inertia of the cross-section of the solid monolithic nose 401a to help resist the nose of the heat shield 335 under the high temperature and force loads of the heat shield 335 and other parts of bending, warping and/or permanent deformation. In further embodiments, providing a thickness 611 of less than about 3 cm may help reduce the weight and cost of heat shield 335 .

The outer end 601 of the solid monolithic nose 401a may include a thickness 611 across the width 608 , which may be equal to or greater than 50% of the width 609 of the solid monolithic nose 401a . In some embodiments, width 608 may be from about 50% to about 90% of width 609 . In further embodiments, width 608 may be from about 50% to about 80% of width 609 . In yet other embodiments, width 608 may be from about 50% to about 70% of width 609 . In some embodiments, the outer end 601 may be free of any hollows or cavities along the width 608 of the outer end 601 . Also, in some embodiments, substantially all or the entire width 608 of the outer end 601 may have a thickness 611 that is greater than the thickness of the inner end 605 . As such, the outer end 601 having a substantial thickness 611 with no cavities or hollows along substantially or the entire width 608 of the outer end 601 may further increase the cross-section provided by the outer end 601 of the solid monolithic nose 401a the area moment of inertia.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the inner end 605 of the solid monolithic nose 401a may include cavities 613 designed to receive threaded retainers 615 to attach the outer end 618a of the lower plate 617 to the upper The outer end 620a of the plate 619 is attached to the inner end 605 of the solid monolithic nose 401a . As further depicted, the outer end 622 of the base support member 624 may include threaded cavities 626 that are also designed to receive the retainer 615 for attaching the inner end 618b of the lower plate 617 and The inner end 620b of the upper plate 619 is attached to the outer end 622 of the base support member 624 .

Depending on the application, the solid monolithic nose 401a , upper and lower threaded fasteners 615 , upper plate 619 , lower plate 617 , and base support member 624 may be fabricated from the same or different materials. In some embodiments, two or more of the above-described elements may be fabricated from the same material. In some embodiments, to prevent stress, buckling, and/or permanent deformation of heat shield 335 , lower plate 617 and solid monolithic nose 401a may comprise the same material. Additionally or alternatively, the lower threaded fastener 615 used to secure the outer end 618a of the lower plate 617 to the inner end 605 of the solid monolithic nose 401a may comprise the same material. In yet other embodiments, the lower threaded fastener 615 , the lower plate 617 , and the solid monolithic nose 401a may comprise the same material. Fabricating the lower threaded retainer 615 , lower plate 617 , and solid monolithic nose 401a from the same material (eg, entirely from the same material) provides matched coefficients of thermal expansion to these components, thereby avoiding the possibility of Warpage, stress, and even joint failures caused by components including mismatched coefficients of thermal expansion.

While a wide range of materials can be used, in some embodiments the lower threaded retainer 615 , lower plate 617 , and solid monolithic nose 401a can be fabricated partially or entirely from a nickel alloy (eg, nichrome), although other Other materials (eg alloys) are provided in the examples. In some embodiments, the material may be a nickel-chromium-tungsten-molybdenum alloy that provides excellent high temperature strength and excellent resistance to oxidative environments at high operating temperatures. Such materials may be used for the lower portion of the heat shield 335 , which provide a support for the weight of the heat shield 335 without stress breaking, bending, warping or permanently deforming the heat shield 335 . Strong support structure.

The upper plate 619 and upper threaded fastener 615 face upwardly towards the relatively high temperature upstream portion that forms the wedge 209 , the edge guides 163a , 163b and the molten material 121 . As such, the upper plate 619 and upper threaded fasteners 615 are exposed to greater radiant heat conduction. To avoid oxidation of the upper plate 619 and/or the upper threaded fasteners 615 under high temperature conditions, materials that have higher oxidation resistance at relatively higher temperatures compared to other elements of the heat shield 335 may be used. manufacture these components. In some embodiments, the upper plate 619 and the upper threaded fastener 615 comprise materials that are more resistant to oxidation at high temperatures than the materials of the solid monolithic nose 401a and/or other elements of the heat shield 335 Material. In some embodiments, the upper plate 619 and the upper threaded fastener 615 may comprise the same material. Fabricating the upper plate 619 and the upper threaded fastener 615 from the same material (eg, entirely from the same material) can provide matched coefficients of thermal expansion to these elements, thereby avoiding stress and even joint failure.

While a wide range of materials may be used, in some embodiments the upper threaded retainer 615 and upper plate 619 may be fabricated partially or entirely from a nickel alloy (eg, Nichrome), although other embodiments may be provided. material (eg alloy). In some embodiments, the material may be a nickel-chromium-aluminum-iron alloy that provides excellent high temperature strength and excellent resistance to oxidation at also relatively higher operating temperatures.

In some applications, the base support member 624 may not directly face the glass ribbon 103 or form the wedge 209 , and may thus be fabricated from alternative materials such as 310 stainless steel, however the base support member 624 may be made of Made of other materials.

Also, in some embodiments, a slight clearance may be provided between the upper bore 613 and the upper threaded fastener 615 in the solid monolithic nose 401a . Additionally or alternatively, a slight clearance may be provided between the upper threaded fastener and the opening in the upper plate 619 that receives the fastener. Such voids may allow for slight relative movement between the upper plate and the solid monolithic nose 401a , thereby preventing warpage, stress, or joint failure of rigidly attached elements that have mismatched coefficients of thermal expansion together.

The upper plate and/or the lower plate may comprise a single plate or a plurality of plates. As shown in FIG. 4 , an embodiment of the heat shield 335 may provide the upper plate 619 as a plurality of upper plates 619a-h . In the illustrated embodiment, each of the ends 335b , 335c of the heat shield 335 may include a respective single upper plate 619a , 619h , although the respective ends 335b , 335c may be combined in other embodiments Provided with a plurality of upper plates. In the illustrated embodiment, the central portion 335a of the heat shield 335 may include the plurality of upper plates 619b-g , however, the central portion 335a may be provided with a single upper plate in other embodiments. As shown, the plurality of upper plates 619b-g (if provided) may be arranged in a row along a length " L1 " of the heat shield 335 , with the length of the heat shield extending perpendicular to the adjustment directions 319a , 321a .

As further shown in FIG. 5 , an embodiment of the heat shield 335 may provide the lower plate 617 as a plurality of lower plates 617a-h . In the depicted embodiment, each of the ends 335b , 335c of the heat shield 335 may include a respective single lower plate 617a , 617h , although the respective ends 335b , 335c may be combined in other embodiments Provided with a plurality of lower plates. In the illustrated embodiment, the central portion 335a of the heat shield 335 may include the plurality of lower panels 617b-g , however, the central portion 335a may be provided with a single upper panel in other embodiments. As shown, the plurality of lower plates 617b-g (if provided) may be arranged in a row along the length " L1 " of the heat shield 335 .

It may be desirable to provide upper plate 619 and/or lower plate 617 as a plurality of plates to reduce bending, warping and/or permanent deformation along the length of heat shield 335 caused by temperature fluctuations in use. The plates can include a wide range of shapes and sizes. Also, if the upper plate and/or the lower plate can be provided as a plurality of plates in a row (see plates 617b-g , 619b-g ), the plurality of plates can have the same shape and/or size, but can be Different shapes and/or sizes are provided in additional embodiments. In some embodiments, the plate or plates may each include an outer perimeter that includes a quadrilateral shape, although other polygonal or non-polygonal shapes may be provided in other embodiments. For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the upper plates 619a , 619h and the lower plates 617a , 617h may each have edges arranged in the shape of a rectangle having inner edges 403 , 503 parallel to the inner edges 403 , 503 The outer edges 405 , 505 , the first side edges 407 , 507 , and the edges of the second side edges 409 , 509 that can be parallel to the first side edges 407 , 507 .

As further shown in Figures 5 and 6 , the plurality of panels of the strake of the central portion 335a of the heat shield may optionally include edges arranged in trapezoidal and/or rhombic shapes, although otherwise Rectangular or other shapes are provided in the embodiments. In one embodiment, the end plates 617b , 619b , 617g , 619g of the strake may include edges arranged in a trapezoidal shape, while the inner plates 617c-f , 619c-f of the strake may include an arrangement in a diamond shape the edge of. As shown, providing the end panels of the strake to have a trapezoidal shape may allow the panel shape to transition from the diamond shape of the inner panel to the rectangular shape of the panel associated with the end of the heat shield. For example, as shown, upper plates 619b , 619g and lower plates 617b , 617g may each have edges arranged in the shape of a trapezoid having inner edges 411 , 511 , outer edges 413 , 413 parallel to inner edges 411 , 511 , 513 , the first side edges 415 , 515 , and the edges of the second side edges 417 , 517 that may not be parallel to the first side edges 415 , 515 . As further shown, the upper plates 619c-f and the lower plates 617c-f may each have edges arranged in the shape of a diamond having inner edges 421 , 521 , outer edges 423 parallel to the inner edges 421 , 521 , 523 , the first side edges 425 , 525 , and the edges of the second side edges 427 , 527 that can be parallel to the first side edges 425 , 525 .

As shown, the outer end 620a of the upper plate 619 may include the outer edges 405 , 413 , 423 of the plurality of upper plates 619a-h . As further shown, the outer end 618a of the lower plate 617 may include the outer edges 505 , 513 , 523 of the plurality of lower plates 617a-h . As further shown, the inner end 620b of the upper plate 619 may include the inner edges 403 , 411 , 421 of the plurality of upper plates 619a-h . As further shown, the inner end 618b of the lower plate 617 may include the inner edges 503 , 511 , 521 of the plurality of lower plates 617a-h .

Providing the plurality of plates in a diamond and/or trapezoidal shape may provide abutting edges of adjacent plates existing along corresponding abutment paths 429 , 529 extending at acute angles 430 , 530 relative to the draw plane 213 . As such, any discontinuity in the thermally conductive properties of the plurality of sheets caused by discontinuities provided by the adjoining edges can be averaged across the widths 431 , 531 along the draw plane to avoid exposure of the glass ribbon 103 to phase Concentrated thermally conductive discontinuities caused by the abutment edges of the adjacent plates that may otherwise have occurred in the abutment paths extending at a 90° angle relative to the draw plane 213 .

In some embodiments, at least one of the upper plate 619 and the lower plate 617 may be provided with at least one slot designed to help prevent temperature fluctuations from bending, warping the heat shield 335 warping and/or permanent deformation. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, at least one or all of the panels of the plurality of upper panels 619a-h may include a first panel that may intersect the outer edges 405, 413, 423 of the plurality of upper panels 619a-h A slot 433 and a second slot that can intersect the inner edges 403, 411, 421 of the plurality of upper plates 619a-h. In some embodiments, the first slot 433 may intersect the outer edges 405, 413, 423 of the plurality of upper plates 619a-h, but not the inner edges 403, 411, 421 of the plurality of upper plates 619a-h intersect. In other embodiments, the second slot 435 may intersect the inner edges 403, 411, 421 of the plurality of upper plates 619a-h, but not the outer edges 405, 413, 421 of the plurality of upper plates 619a-h. 423 Intersect. The first slot 433 and the second slot 435 extend completely through the plate from the upper main face of the plate to the lower main face of the plate to separate the plates at this location; thereby releasing any that may have developed at this location due to temperature differences bending moment. As shown, in some embodiments, the first slot 433 and the second slot 435 can have a length that can be less than 50% of the width of the plate between the inner and outer edges of the plate. For example, the slot may comprise a length between 10% and 50% of the width of the plate, or 20% to 40% of the width of the plate. Providing slot 433 , 435 lengths that are less than 50% of the width of the panels can increase the strength of the panels while still providing sufficient panel separation to relieve bending moments that might otherwise cause the heat shield 335 to warp. In some embodiments, the length of the slot can be balanced to provide a slot long enough to beneficially maximize the release of any bending moments, while also limiting the length of the slot to maintain the structural integrity of the plate and minimize the risk of damage caused by the slot while exposed to any thermal discontinuities in the glass ribbon 103 .

As further shown, in some embodiments, the second slot 435 may be offset relative to the first slot 433 in an offset direction from the first side edge of the corresponding upper plate 619a-h 407 , 415 , 425 extend toward the second side edges 409 , 417 , 427 . The offset slots 433 , 435 can help strengthen the sheet and minimize thermal discontinuities along the width of the glass ribbon 103 that might otherwise occur in aligned slots.

As shown in FIGS. 7-9 , the heat shield 335 may include a reinforcement plate 701 . 8 , the reinforcement plate 701 may include a first edge 801a attached to the lower plate 617 , eg, by welding beads 803 . The reinforcement plate 701 may further include a second edge 801b attached to the inner end 607 of the solid monolithic nose 401a , such as by welding beads 803 . Still further, the reinforcement plate may further include a third edge 801c attached to the inner end of the base support member 624 with a weld bead 803 . As further shown in FIG. 8 , the weld beads 803 may also further attach the outer end 618a of the lower plate 617 to the solid monolithic nose 401a and the inner end 618b of the lower plate 617 to the base support member 624 . In some embodiments, the reinforcement plate 701 may comprise the same material (eg, entirely from the same material) as the solid monolithic nose 401a and lower plate 617 to avoid stress and joint failures due to temperature differences. Reinforcement plate 701 (if provided) may be included in the support structure of heat shield 335 including solid monolithic nose 401a , lower plate 617 and optional base support member 624 . In some embodiments, if provided, the weld beads 803 may integrate the components together into a unitary support member to further strengthen and increase the rigidity of the heat shield 335 ; thereby resisting the heat shield 335 Warping or other deformation (eg, permanent deformation) in response to changes in temperature.

As further shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 , in some embodiments, a refractory material 627 may be disposed within the space 805 (see FIG. 8 ) between the upper plate 619 and the lower plate 617 . The refractory material may include a refractory ceramic material or other material designed to help minimize heat loss from the interior region 303 of the enclosure 301 .

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 10 , a sheet of material 629 is positioned between the refractory material 627 and the upper plate 619 . The sheet of material 629 may help protect the refractory 627 from damage by the upper plate 619 . In fact, as discussed above, there may be a slight gap between the retainer openings in the retainer 615 and the upper plate 619 , and/or between the retainer and the cavity 613 , to accommodate the solid monolithic nose 401a and the upper plate 619 Differences in material types between. Therefore, there may be a slight relative movement between the upper plate 619 and the refractory material 627 . If the upper plate 619 is originally in direct contact with the refractory material 627 , the relative movement may cause abrasion damage to the refractory material 327 . A sheet of material 629 may be used to protect the refractory 627 so that the edge of the upper plate 619 does not rub directly against the refractory 627 . Also, sheet of material 629 can further help protect against thermal discontinuities in glass ribbon 103 caused by discontinuities in upper plates 619b-g that are caused by adjacent upper plates caused by the adjoining edges. Instead, any discontinuities created by the adjoining edges of adjacent upper plates may be at least partially masked by sheet of material 629 to provide more continuous thermal conductivity along the width " W " of glass ribbon 103 . Still further, the flakes 629 may help reduce the escape of particles or other debris of the refractory material 627 between the adjoining edges of adjacent upper panels. Although not shown, a similar sheet of material may be positioned between the refractory material 627 and the lower plate 617 to also reduce the escape of particles or other debris of the refractory material 627 between the adjoining edges of adjacent lower plates. Preventing debris (eg, particles of refractory 627 ) from escaping between the adjoining edges of the panels can help prevent debris from contaminating major faces 215a , 215b and thereby maintaining the original condition of major faces 215a , 215b of glass ribbon 103 . In some embodiments, the sheet of material 629 may comprise a thin foil, however thicker sheets of material may be provided in other embodiments. As shown, in some embodiments, sheet of material 629 may extend the entire length " L1 ", " L2 ", " L3 " of opposing portions 335 a , 335 b , 335 c of heat shield 335 . In some embodiments, the sheet body 629 may comprise a material similar or the same as that used to make the upper plate 619 to provide oxidation resistance.

An embodiment of a method of manufacturing the heat shield 335 will now be discussed with reference to FIGS. 7-10 . Specifically, the manufacturing method will be discussed with respect to the central portion 335a of the heat shield 335 ; thus, unless otherwise indicated, the manufacturing method will also be similarly or identically applied to the manufacture of the end portions 335b , 335c of the heat shield 335 . As shown in Figures 7 and 8 , the lower plate 617 may be secured to the base support member 624 and the solid monolithic nose 401a . In some embodiments, a threaded retainer 615 (eg, a screw) may be threadably received within the threaded bore 626 of the base support member 624 and the threaded bore 613 of the solid monolithic nose 401a . In some embodiments, little or no clearance may be provided between the threaded fastener 615 and the threaded bore cavities 613 , 626 and between the threaded fastener 615 and the fastener openings in the lower plate 617 . In such embodiments, a very rigid connection can be made between the lower plate 617 and the base support member 624 and the solid monolithic nose 401a to help prevent the heat shield 335 from buckling in use. Also, because the lower plate 617 , solid monolithic nose 401a , and lower retainer 615 can be fabricated from (eg, entirely of) the same relatively strong material with a matching coefficient of thermal expansion, large temperature changes will not unduly stress the engagement connect.

To further increase the structural rigidity and strength of the heat shield, reinforcement plate 701 may be attached (eg, integrally attached) to base support member 624 , lower plate 617 , and solid monolithic nose 401 a . In some embodiments, the weld beads 803 may integrally attach the first edge 801a of the reinforcement plate 701 to the lower plate 617 . As further shown, the weld beads 803 may also integrally attach the second edge 801b of the reinforcement plate 701 to the inner end 607 of the solid monolithic nose 401a . As yet further shown, the weld beads 803 may also integrally attach the third edge 801c of the reinforcement plate 701 to the base support member 624 . To stiffen the structure still further, weld beads 803 may also be used to attach the outer end of the lower plate 617 to the base support member 624 at the seam between the outer end of the lower plate 617 and the base support member. Also, weld beads 803 may also be used to attach the other outer end of the lower plate 617 to the solid monolithic nose 401a at the seam between the outer end of the lower plate 617 and the solid monolithic nose 401a .

Also, because the lower plate 617 , solid monolithic nose 401a , lower retainer 615 , and reinforcement plate 701 can be fabricated from (eg, entirely of) the same relatively strong material, large temperature changes will not unduly stress the joint connection , because components made of the same material will have the same matching coefficient of thermal expansion. The lower plate 617 , solid monolithic nose 401a , lower retainer, reinforcement plate 701 , and associated weld seam provide a strong, rigid support structure due to the rigid connection of the elements and the relatively strong materials available for those elements. The strong, rigid support structure resists bending, buckling, and permanent deformation of the heat shield 335 during use. In this way, the outer end 603 of the solid monolithic nose 401a can be maintained in a desired shape (eg, extending in a straight path) to allow for the opposite movement along the entire length " L1 " during longer production runs The openings 343 (see Figure 3 ) between the outward ends 603 of the solid monolithic nose 401a are maintained at a consistent size. Providing the openings 343 with a consistent size along the entire length " L1 " can help provide consistency along the length " L1 " as the convection path travels up through the openings 343 and into the interior region 303 of the housing 301 opposite the downstream direction 211 cooling convection path.

As shown in FIG. 9 , refractory material 627 may then be inserted into space 805 (see FIG. 8 ) to increase the resistance of heat shield 335 to heat conduction through heat shield 335 , thereby allowing heat shield 335 to help minimize Eliminate unwanted heat losses from the interior region 303 of the enclosure 301 .

As shown in FIG. 10 , in some embodiments, a sheet of material 629 may then be placed over the refractory material 627 , and the top of the reinforcement plate 701 . Next, as shown in FIG. 4 , the top plate 619 may be attached to the base support member 624 and the solid monolithic nose 401a . In some embodiments, the upper threaded retainer 615 may be threadably received within the threaded bore 613 of the solid monolithic nose and the threaded bore 626 of the base support member 624 . Because upper plate 619 can be formed from a material that can resist oxidation at higher temperatures, top plate 619 can resist oxidation that might otherwise undesirably draw heat from forming wedge 209 . Also, a clearance may be provided between the upper retainer 615 and the threaded bore 613 and/or the threaded bore 626 . Additionally or alternatively, gaps may be provided between the upper retainer 615 and some or all of the retainer openings in the upper plate 619 . The clearance may allow the upper plate 619 to float slightly relative to the base support member 624 and/or the solid monolithic nose 401a during temperature changes to accommodate the upper plate 619 and the solid monolithic nose 401a and/or other elements of the heat shield 335 mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients.

A method of manufacturing the glass ribbon 103 with the glass manufacturing apparatus 101 will now be described. As shown in FIG. 3 , the sheet of molten material may flow along the respective surface portions of the pair of downwardly sloping converging surface portions 207a , 207b forming the wedge 209 . The molten material may then be drawn into glass ribbon 103 by pulling away from root 142 forming wedge 209 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the glass ribbon may then be pulled through opening 315 , such as through opening 343 between outward ends 603 of solid monolithic nose 401a . The glass ribbon can then be pulled through opening 315 to exit interior region 303 of housing 301 .

In some embodiments, heat shield 335 may be moved along adjustment directions 319a-b , 321a-b to adjust the width of opening 343 . Adjusting the width of the openings can help adjust the convective air flow through the openings 343 and into the interior region 303 of the housing 301 to adjust the temperature of the interior region 303 and/or the thermal conduction from the glass ribbon 103 , resulting in changes in the convective air flow rate. Also, based on the features of the heat shield 335 , buckling and permanent deformation of the solid monolithic nose may be minimized or prevented, thereby maintaining the shape of the outer end 603 of the solid monolithic nose (eg, extending along a straight path), to provide uniform spacing along the entire length " L1 " of the outer end 603 . In this way, consistent thermal convection and heat transfer can be achieved over any portion of the entire length " L1 " over longer production runs, which may have been the case with previous designs that caused warpage and/or permanent deformation of conventional heat shields. impossible.

It should be appreciated that, although various embodiments have been described in detail for certain illustrative and specific examples, the present disclosure should not be construed as limited thereto, without departing from the scope of the following claims Many modifications and combinations of the disclosed features are possible.

101‧‧‧Glass Manufacturing Equipment 103‧‧‧Glass strips 104‧‧‧Glass 105‧‧‧Melting vessels 106‧‧‧Glass separation device 107‧‧‧Batch 109‧‧‧Storage racks 111‧‧‧Bulk Delivery Equipment 113‧‧‧Motor 115‧‧‧Controller 117‧‧‧arrow 119‧‧‧Glass Melt Detector 121‧‧‧Melting material 122‧‧‧Free surface 123‧‧‧Standpipe 125‧‧‧Communication line 127‧‧‧Refined Containers 129‧‧‧First connecting conduit 131‧‧‧Mixing chamber 133‧‧‧Delivery container 135‧‧‧Second connection conduit 137‧‧‧Third connecting conduit 139‧‧‧Delivery Tube 140‧‧‧Forming containers 141‧‧‧Inlet conduit 142‧‧‧Roots 151‧‧‧Central Section 153‧‧‧First Edge 155‧‧‧Second Edge 159‧‧‧Direction 161a‧‧‧End Wall 161b‧‧‧End Wall 163a‧‧‧Edge guide 163b‧‧‧Edge guide 201‧‧‧Cutter 203a‧‧‧Weir 203b‧‧‧Weir 205a‧‧‧Outer surface 205b‧‧‧Outer surface 207a‧‧‧Converging surface portion sloping downward 207b‧‧‧Converging surface sections sloping downwards 209‧‧‧Wedge formation 211‧‧‧Downstream direction 213‧‧‧Drawing plane 215a‧‧‧First major aspect 215b‧‧‧Second main aspect 301‧‧‧Enclosure 303‧‧‧Interior area 305‧‧‧Upper Wall 307‧‧‧Sidewall 309‧‧‧Sidewall 311a‧‧‧Melting material sheet 311b‧‧‧melted material sheet 313‧‧‧Occlusion 315‧‧‧Opening 317a‧‧‧door 317b‧‧‧door 319a‧‧‧Direction of extension 319b‧‧‧Stretching direction 321a‧‧‧Retraction direction 321b‧‧‧Retraction direction 323a‧‧‧Actuator 323b‧‧‧Actuator 325‧‧‧Cooling equipment 327‧‧‧Fluid Nozzle 329‧‧‧Interior area 331‧‧‧Cooling fluid flow 333‧‧‧Front Wall 335‧‧‧Heat shield 335a‧‧‧Central Section 335b‧‧‧End 335c‧‧‧End 337a‧‧‧heat shield 337b‧‧‧heat shield 339a‧‧‧heat shield 339b‧‧‧heat shield 341‧‧‧Actuators 341a‧‧‧Actuators 341b‧‧‧Actuator 341c‧‧‧Actuator 343‧‧‧Opening 401a‧‧‧Solid single piece nose 401b‧‧‧Solid single piece nose 401c‧‧‧Solid single piece nose 403‧‧‧Inner edge 405‧‧‧Outside 407‧‧‧First side edge 409‧‧‧Second side edge 411‧‧‧Inner Rim 413‧‧‧Outer edge 415‧‧‧First side edge 417‧‧‧Second side edge 421‧‧‧Inner Rim 423‧‧‧Outer edge 425‧‧‧First side edge 427‧‧‧Second side edge 429‧‧‧Contiguous Path 430‧‧‧Acute Angle 431‧‧‧Width 433‧‧‧First slot 435‧‧‧Second slot 503‧‧‧Inner Rim 505‧‧‧Outer Rim 507‧‧‧First side edge 509‧‧‧Second side edge 511‧‧‧Inner Edge 513‧‧‧Outer Rim 515‧‧‧First side edge 517‧‧‧Second side edge 521‧‧‧Inner Edge 523‧‧‧Outer Rim 525‧‧‧First side edge 527‧‧‧Second side edge 529‧‧‧Contiguous Path 530‧‧‧Acute Angle 531‧‧‧Width 601‧‧‧Outer end 603‧‧‧Outside 605‧‧‧Inner end 607‧‧‧Inner end 608‧‧‧Width 609‧‧‧Width 611‧‧‧Substantial thickness 612‧‧‧Top surface 613‧‧‧Cavity 614‧‧‧Lowest surface 615‧‧‧Fixer 617‧‧‧Lower board 617a‧‧‧Lower plate 617b‧‧‧Lower plate 617c‧‧‧Lower plate 617d‧‧‧Lower plate 617e‧‧‧Lower plate 617f‧‧‧Lower plate 617g‧‧‧Lower plate 617h‧‧‧Lower plate 618a‧‧‧Outer end 618b‧‧‧Inner end 619‧‧‧Top board 619a‧‧‧Top board 619b‧‧‧Top board 619c‧‧‧Top board 619d‧‧‧Top board 619e‧‧‧Top board 619f‧‧‧Top board 619g‧‧‧Top plate 619h‧‧‧Top board 620a‧‧‧Outer end 620b‧‧‧Inner end 622‧‧‧Outer end 624‧‧‧Outer end 626‧‧‧Cavity 627‧‧‧Refractory 629‧‧‧Material Sheet 701‧‧‧Reinforcement plate 801a‧‧‧First Edge 801b‧‧‧Second Edge 801c‧‧‧Third Edge 803‧‧‧Welding beads 805‧‧‧Space L1‧‧‧Length L2‧‧‧Length L3‧‧‧Length T‧‧‧Thickness W‧‧‧Width

These and other features, embodiments and advantages will be better understood when reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a glass manufacturing apparatus;

2 depicts a perspective cross-sectional view of the glass making apparatus along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 ;

3 depicts an enlarged end view of a portion of the cross-section of FIG . 2 ;

4 depicts a top view of the heat shield taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 ;

5 is a bottom view of the heat shield of FIG. 4 ;

6 is a cross-sectional view of the heat shield along line 6-6 of FIG . 4 ;

7 shows a top view of a partially assembled heat shield;

8 is a cross-sectional view of the partially assembled heat shield along line 8-8 of FIG . 7 ;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the partially assembled heat shield of FIG. 7 , the heat shield further comprising a refractory material disposed in the space above the lower plate; and

10 depicts a top view of the partially assembled heat shield of FIG. 9 further including a sheet of material positioned over the refractory material.

Domestic storage information (please note in the order of storage institution, date and number) none

Foreign deposit information (please mark in the order of deposit country, institution, date and number) none

101‧‧‧Glass Manufacturing Equipment

103‧‧‧Glass strips

121‧‧‧Melting material

122‧‧‧Free surface

140‧‧‧Forming containers

142‧‧‧Roots

163a‧‧‧Edge guide

201‧‧‧Cutter

203a‧‧‧Weir

203b‧‧‧Weir

205a‧‧‧Outer surface

205b‧‧‧Outer surface

207a‧‧‧Converging surface portion sloping downward

207b‧‧‧Converging surface sections sloping downwards

209‧‧‧Wedge formation

211‧‧‧Downstream direction

213‧‧‧Drawing plane

215a‧‧‧First major aspect

215b‧‧‧Second main aspect

301‧‧‧Enclosure

303‧‧‧Interior area

305‧‧‧Upper Wall

307‧‧‧Sidewall

309‧‧‧Sidewall

311a‧‧‧Melting material sheet

311b‧‧‧melted material sheet

313‧‧‧Occlusion

315‧‧‧Opening

317a‧‧‧door

317b‧‧‧door

319a‧‧‧Direction of extension

319b‧‧‧Stretching direction

321a‧‧‧Retraction direction

321b‧‧‧Retraction direction

323a‧‧‧Actuator

323b‧‧‧Actuator

325‧‧‧Cooling equipment

327‧‧‧Fluid Nozzle

329‧‧‧Interior area

331‧‧‧Cooling fluid flow

333‧‧‧Front Wall

335‧‧‧Heat shield

337a‧‧‧heat shield

337b‧‧‧heat shield

339a‧‧‧heat shield

339b‧‧‧heat shield

341‧‧‧Actuators

343‧‧‧Opening

603‧‧‧Outside

Claims (21)

An apparatus for making a glass ribbon, comprising: a housing; a container-forming container disposed at least partially within the housing; an obturator mounted relative to the housing to limit a dimension of an opening into the housing; and a heat shield mounted movably along an adjustment direction relative to the occluder, an outer end of the heat shield includes a solid monolithic nose, the solid monolithic nose including a thickness and a width, The thickness extends perpendicular to the adjustment direction between an upper side of the heat shield and an underside of the heat shield, and the width is in a range from 2.5 cm to 6.5 cm and at the width of the solid monolithic nose An inner end of an inner end portion and an outer end of an outer end portion of the solid monolithic nose portion extend in the adjustment direction, and the outer end at least partially defines the opening. The device of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the solid monolithic nose is in a range from 1 cm to 3 cm. The device of claim 1, wherein the outer end has no cavity or hollow portion and extends a width equal to or greater than 50% of the width of the solid monolithic nose. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat shield further comprises: a lower panel including an outer end attached to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose. The device of claim 4, wherein the lower plate and the solid monolithic nose comprise the same material. 4. The device of claim 4, wherein a retainer attaches the outer end of the lower plate to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose. The device of claim 6, wherein the retainer and the solid monolithic nose comprise the same material. The device of claim 4, wherein a weld bead attaches the outer end of the lower plate to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising: a reinforcement plate including a first edge attached to the lower plate and a second edge attached to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose. 9. The device of claim 9, wherein the reinforcement plate, the solid monolithic nose and the lower plate comprise the same material. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat shield further comprises: an upper plate including an outer end attached to the inner end of the solid monolithic nose. The device of claim 11, wherein the upper plate comprises a material having a higher oxidation resistance than a material of the solid monolithic nose. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the upper plate comprises a plurality of plates arranged in a row along a length of the heat shield, wherein the length of the heat shield extends perpendicular to the adjustment direction. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of panels includes a plurality of edges including an inner edge, an outer edge, a first side edge, and a rhombus arranged in a diamond shape The second side edge, and the outer end of the upper plate includes the outer edges of the plurality of plates. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of plates further comprises: a first slot intersecting the outer edge of the plurality of edges; and a second slot intersecting the plurality of edges The inner edges of . 16. The device of claim 15, wherein each plate of the plurality of plates is to be provided offset relative to the first slot in a direction extending from the first side edge of the corresponding plate toward the second side edge Give that second slot. The device of claim 11, further comprising: a refractory material disposed in a space between the upper plate and the lower plate. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: a sheet of material positioned between the refractory material and the upper plate. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat shield is positioned below the forming vessel. A method of making a glass ribbon using the apparatus of any of claims 1-19, the method comprising the steps of: drawing a glass ribbon from the forming vessel; and drawing the glass ribbon through the opening to exit the housing. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of: moving the heat shield along the adjusting direction to adjust a width of the opening.

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